Crispy and delicious tacos filled with homemade taco meat and all your favorite toppings. These easy ground beef tacos are a simple family meal loaded with flavor and ready in just 20 minutes!
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Best Beef Tacos Recipe
This ground beef tacos recipe is a super easy dinner to whip up when the family is craving Mexican food. You only need 5 simple ingredients (plus any extra toppings) and it’s ready in under 30 minutes. The tacos taste authentic and are warm, cheesy and filled with flavor in every bite.
This would also be the perfect dinner to make for a crowd and can easily be kept warm in the oven until serving. You could even double or triple the taco meat recipe if needed, depending on how many guests you’re serving.
For taco Tuesday, we like to set up a taco bar with lots of different toppings in bowls on the counter. That way family members can grab a taco or two and pile it high with all of their favorites. So simple and delicious!
Why You’ll Love These Tacos
- Family friendly. Kids love tacos and they love it even more when they can top it how they like!
- Homemade seasoning blend. Skip the store bought packets and make your own seasoning at home. It’s simple to do with common spices and you can control the salt and heat to your family’s preferences.
- Easy to make. Perfect for busy weeknights this dinner can be on the table in 20 minutes!
- Crowd pleaser. Serving these buffet style is perfect for gatherings!
Ingredients
- Ground beef: I like to use 80-90% lean which has a little fat to flavor the meat but I don’t have to spend a lot of time draining the grease.
- Onion: Onions are sauteed with the beef to add additional flavor.
- Salsa: I like a little more spice so I use salsa, but feel free to use plain canned tomato sauce.
- Taco seasoning: I like to use my homemade taco seasoning which is a mix of cumin, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and oregano but feel free to use your favorite blend.
- Tortillas: I like to use yellow corn taco shells but feel free to use white corn tortillas or your family’s favorite.
Variations
These tacos are pretty customizable, so feel free to make any of the below swaps or additions.
- Use ground turkey instead of beef for a lighter alternative.
- Swap hard taco shells for small corn or flour tortillas that are around 6 inches.
- Add a dash of red pepper flakes or cayenne in with the meat for some heat. Or use hot salsa instead of mild.
- Spread a layer of refried beans (about 1-2 Tablespoons) in each taco shell before adding the meat.
- If you are watching your carbs, wrap your taco meat in lettuce leaves like I do in taco lettuce wraps, swap the chicken in this taco bowl or make a Mexican salad.
How to Make Ground Beef Tacos
If you’re looking for an easy and tasty dinner recipe for your next taco night, these beef tacos are perfect for you! They’re simple, quick and taste absolutely delicious.
- Brown ground beef. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef and onion and cook until browned, stirring occasionally to break up any large pieces. Once browned, drain off any extra grease.
- Season meat. Add in the taco seasoning, salsa and water. Bring to a light simmer, adding more water as desired.
- For cheesy baked ground beef tacos. Place taco shells in a 9×13″ dish to bake, add a layer of cheese and refried beans. Top with about 2 tablespoons of your beef mixture and more shredded cheese. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes.
- Serve: Serve the tacos with all your favorite toppings!
Expert Tips
- Ground beef. I like to use 90% lean ground beef. The meat still has great flavor, but doesn’t get overly greasy. Always make sure to drain any excess grease after browning the meat before you add in your seasonings.
- Meat ratio. This recipe calls for a pound of ground beef, which will make about 12 tacos. Once the taco meat cooks down, you’ll be left with about 12 ounces of meat. So you should put about 1 ounce (or 2 Tablespoons) of beef in each taco.
- Bulk it up. You can mix in some black beans and/or rice to stretch the meat even further. I do this sometimes when I want to have leftovers the next day.
- Warm the shells. After assembling the tacos, I love to bake mine in a pan in the oven for about 10 minutes to get them extra warm and crispy. The cheese melts and gets super gooey, which tastes amazing.
- Leftovers. When warming up leftover ground beef taco meat, try adding a dash of broth of water so that the meat stays moist. You can use leftovers to make more tacos, or make a totally new dish like stuffed peppers or a taco salad.
Toppings for Tacos
Some may argue that the toppings are the best part! I keep it classic with shredded cheddar cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, onions and sliced olives. Any of the below toppings would taste delicious when assembling your tacos.
- Freshly grated cheese
- Shredded lettuce
- Pico de gallo
- Salsa
- Sour cream
- Diced tomatoes
- Guacamole
- Jalapenos
- Fajita veggies
- Black olives
- Cilantro
- Lime juice
FAQ
If you’re making these beef tacos for a large crowd, there are several ways you can keep them warm. I like to place them in a baking dish and bake them at 400°F for about 10 minutes.
Then turn on the “keep warm” setting and let them sit in the oven until serving. This will ensure they stay warm, but don’t overcook and get too crispy. You can also cover them tightly with aluminum foil to help keep them warm as well.
Yes, drain any excess grease before adding seasoning. I like to pour out into a jar, or use a paper towel to get the extra grease off.
One pound of ground beef will make about 12 tacos and feed 6 people. A good ratio is to plan for each taco to be filled with 2-3 tablespoons of ground beef.
I love to serve a side of Mexican rice or refried beans year round. In the summer, Mexican street corn or street corn salad are favorites!
Storage
Place leftover taco meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When reheating, add a splash of water to rehydrate meat. Store leftover taco shells separately from the meat. They are best store in an airtight container in the pantry.
To freeze leftover meat, cool completely then place in freezer safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw and enjoy it in a taco shell.
Try these other Tex-Mex favorites such as fajita bowls, beef burritos or ranch chicken tacos!
More Taco Recipes to Try
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Ground Beef Tacos
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef , 80-90% lean
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning , more to taste
- ½ cup salsa or tomato sauce
- ¼ cup water , more as needed
- 12 taco shells , or small tortillas
S&P to taste
Toppings: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cilantro
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook until browned, stirring occasionally breaking up any large pieces.
- Once browned, drain off any extra grease. Then add in the taco seasoning, salsa and water. Bring to a light simmer. Add more water as desired.
- Serve in taco shells as-is or place in a 9×13" dish to bake. Then add cheese and bake at 400°F for 10 minutes.
- Add desired toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 30 Minute Meals, 30 Minute Meals, 5 Ingredients Or Less, Beef, Cinco De Mayo, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Mexican
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
I recently used this recipe to make tacos for a crowd. It was a big hit! Love an easy and delicious meal like this.
I don’t know why I never thought to bake our tacos after building them. This was sooo much better than the way I used to do it!
My new go-to favorite quick and delicious dinner! The whole family loves them and my kids are picky lol
This was the best beef taco recipe I have had. I will definitely be making it again.
These tacos were easy to make and so delish!
I absolutely love easy meals like this. Especially when they’re so tasty!
This recipe is perfect for the whole family! I simply love recipes that are heartfelt and sit and share with the family, bowls of making your own are a winner!
Hungry and exhausted after a long, busy day at work and I’m sitting here drooling while reading this post. I wish I had a huge plate of these tacos right now!
I love this recipe, it’s easy and delicious!! This will be my go to taco recipe for sure.
Tacos are my favorite! I can never get enough!
I am trying to choose my favorite topping from this list. I can’t choose! I want them all. I love how quick and easy tacos are.
One of our family’s favorite meals! Easy to make and super delicious!
This is such a quick and easy meal! Tacos are always a winning dish.